Beer of the Weekend #293: Santa's Private Reserve

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is, as the label says, a reddish-copper. Two fingers of dense, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a rocky cap, trails of foam on the glass, and a bubbly lacing.

Smell: Lots of centennial citrus up front; lots of grapefruit and orange citrus. There is also a little pine to spice it up. Underneath are the malts and sweets: lightly toasted grain, caramel, toffee, and cocoa.

Taste: Lots of metallic and citrus hops, though the grapefruit is not as prominent as it is in the smell. It tastes a little more like tangerine and it is spiced with pine. Underneath are the grain, caramel, toffee, and cocoa. As the beer warms, there are hints of honey or hazelnut to balance the hops. The aftertaste: it is like I sucked on a metal sign-post for about a minute.

Drinkability: Though the hops are not aggressive, it is a bitter pill to swallow. I really hope Santa has better stuff in his private reserve. Santa does not necessarily seem like a hophead. I will applaud the effort, though.

I am 37, quiet, and shy. My obsession is everyday life. I love the small and mundane. I'm easily pleased.
As a kid, when my family took long trips, I entertained myself by looking out the car window, admiring the landscape we passed. I studied the farm houses, the barns, the faces of people in small towns, and the rows of corn and beans blanketing the Iowa countryside. I tried capturing every last detail as my eyes roved from one thing to another.
That's me.